Great Earthquakes In Diverse Places
Strong earthquake hits off Aleutians
Published: Aug. 4, 2010 at 3:48 PM
ANCHORAGE, Alaska, Aug. 4 (UPI) -- An undersea earthquake measuring 6.4
on the Richter scale rattled the Aleutian Islands in southwest Alaska
early Wednesday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
The epicenter of the quake was located near the Andreanof Islands, 25
miles east-northeast of Amatignak, 40 miles south-southwest of Tanaga
Volcano and 1,280 miles west-southwest of Anchorage.
The quake occurred just before 4 a.m. local time.
While earthquakes in the 6.0 to 6.9 range can wreak havoc close to the
epicenter, there were no reports of damage in the Aleutians, a chain of
thinly populated islands extending southwest into the Pacific. A strong
earthquake struck in the same region in mid-July.
The Aleutians are part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, with active
volcanoes and frequent quakes.